Monday, October 5

Ever since we moved, the craptacular chairs we had in our kitchen have been driving me nuts. No, NUTS. Absolutely NUTS.

They never bothered me at our old house. I assume that's because the table was always so covered in assorted debris that you couldn't actually see them. Now that we have enough space to co-exist with the debris, the table stays clear. (That fact right there deserves a parade.) Suddenly, the realization that the chairs were beaten to a pulp mattered. A lot.

I don't do regular price, so back when I was first looking for a table and chairs for our old dining room, I started out by looking at a local antique store. Except, the antique store is more like a flea market--the old ladies who own the place buy truckloads of junk at estate sales and sell it as is in their store. I have frequently found stuff there that was hugely under-priced. It always involves some elbow grease, but it's worth it.

That table, for example, was a SCORE. I paid $35 for it several years ago. It needed a little Mr. Husband Magical Mojo to undo a bad stain job, but it was so totally worth the effort. A few months before I found it, I watched a relative (who had money to waste) spend thousands on a nearly identical table at a "real" antique store, so I kinda knew what I was looking at. It's an antique English pub table. It has a near twin on ebay right now for $2900.

I rule the bargain shopping universe.

The only problem with my Masterful Table Purchase was that I couldn't find chairs to go with the table. Anywhere. I didn't care if they matched, I just wanted them to not cost a kajillion dollars. (Actually, I kinda like when chairs don't match, just so long as they somehow go together.) Apparently chairs are filled with diamonds and gold because all the chairs I found were crazy expensive.

CRAZY expensive.

Eventually we found two battered and bruised chairs at a furniture outlet. Several coats of paint, a few pounds of wood glue, and a few pieces of fabric later, they were . . . OK. No matter how much fixing we did, if you paid attention, you could see that the chairs had been broken. It didn't bother me mostly because I was too cheap to care.

Fast forward several years and those chairs were stained, chipped, worn, and only slightly better looking than what you would find at a college frat house kitchen. Add in the fact that I had acquired a cheap, mis-matched third chair from IKEA (which Cody had gnawed on like it was a t-bone steak or something), and it was sad.

So, I started looking for new ones. And, guess what? Chairs apparently are still made with diamonds and gold because they are still crazy expensive. I couldn't find any that I was willing to buy.

17 comments:

I love Target bargains. Our kitchen table and four chairs came from there and all together cost a whopping $69. I had to track down each piece one by one over the course of a few days, but it was a well needed mission.

For a fun time, check out estate sales. You know, when old people die, and the family needs to sell everything that nobody else wants. Some are duds, some are jewels. This past weekend we spent $100, and got a huge cedar chest, a whole pile of tools (including a jigsaw and a hand sander!), a mantle clock, a paper shredder and 3 unopened bottles of paint stripper. We called everyone we knew and BRAGGED.

*bows down in awe* I used to think I was a decent bargain shopper...and then I started reading your blog. Great buys!

We currently have four chairs that match and one chair that, uh, doesn't. One of the matching set is broken (so that only our Oldest Boy sits in it and warns everyone who even considers using it not to). We desperately need to upgrade, but, alas, we have to finish paying for (and finishing) the frickin' basement!

Send me the name of the old ladies' store, please? longdazeshortyears at zoominternet dot net.

Oh Man! I may be needing to stop at Target...we have...well no chairs! and no table. I had come up withthis great idea to sell my table and chairs at a garage sale this summer thinking it would be super easy to just go out and buy a new one...well, not so much. Either I have to sell one of my organs to afford it or they are butt ugly and I'd rather have nada. So now my hubby, daughter and I all sit on the floor as if we are Asia people. Needless to say we haven't had anyone over for dinner lately.

It took me a minute to realize those chairs didn't come with the table. I thought you bought a whole new kitchen set to fix the problem. (For wicked cheap, of course.) Love them! You have taught the husband well.

I searched for two solid years straight for a dining table and chairs I could live with. Last summer I found it on old farm table that has a cross legs at each end and a single wood bar connecting them. It's worn, warm, dinged and 6 and a 1/2 feet long. I won't mention that I have a small house. But I love my table. I found it at an antique store for a little over a hundred.

I've had relatives try to buy my table off me for much, much more. Nope. Found two end chairs at the same place ornately carved highbacks. The other 4 chairs sadly are from pier one. But I did get them on sale. They work with the old farmstead look.

I hate matchy, matchy. Give me a house that is filled with well chosen pieces hand picked and I'm happy as can be. Loving your set it works perfectly. (Hugs)Indigo